Fixing guitar strap button

dano

The screw which holds the strap button into my tele has slid out and can't be screwed back in.

Any recommendations for the best way to fix it back in ? Superglue, wood glue etc ?.

guitars4you

cocktail stick and wood glue - clean out any debris first if you can - dip the cocktail stick into the glue, don't be shy on any excess - subject to size of the hole will determine if you need one or two stems - break of excess - now screw it in before glue is dry so it pushes glue/stick to the outside to bond with guitar body - then leave well alone for a couple of hours - wipe up any residue of glue

JerkMoans

I got a used jazzmaster for my daughter with a MASSIVE screw half holding the strap button. Removed it to find a cavernous hole. Stuck wood filler in, left it to dry, gently sanded excess away, drilled narrow pilot hole and replaced strap button, which hid the work nicely. 

underdog

I done the cocktail stick fix described above the other week and has held perfectly since. 

Gadget

I match stick works just as well, if you don't have lardy-da cocktail sticks around

ICBM

guitars4you said:

cocktail stick and wood glue - clean out any debris first if you can - dip the cocktail stick into the glue, don't be shy on any excess - subject to size of the hole will determine if you need one or two stems - break of excess - now screw it in before glue is dry so it pushes glue/stick to the outside to bond with guitar body - then leave well alone for a couple of hours - wipe up any residue of glue

This.

Don't drill it out and dowel, or wait for the glue to dry before putting the screw in - neither of these is as as strong as what looks like the 'quick bodge' method, until you realise why the 'quick bodge' is actually the best. By putting the screw back in with the glue wet, you compress the glue and wood fibres around the remains of the old stripped thread and create a very strong bond.

I would even use three bits of stick if they will go in - don't worry about leaving enough room for the screw, it will compress the new wood anyway even if the hole is totally full.

sweepy

Wooded kebab sticks work nicely too, don’t use matchsticks as they are far too soft 

ICBM

sweepy said:

Wooded kebab sticks work nicely too, don’t use matchsticks as they are far too soft 

They're OK if the hole is not too badly stripped and you really pack them tightly. They're actually best for pickguard screws on softer wood bodies, usually just one is all you need since the hole is small and the force on the screw isn't huge.

guitars4you

JerkMoans said:

I got a used jazzmaster for my daughter with a MASSIVE screw half holding the strap button. Removed it to find a cavernous hole. Stuck wood filler in, left it to dry, gently sanded excess away, drilled narrow pilot hole and replaced strap button, which hid the work nicely. 

the negative with the filler is that as time goes on it can shrink, crack and become loose so keep an eye on it

ICBM

guitars4you said:

JerkMoans said:

I got a used jazzmaster for my daughter with a MASSIVE screw half holding the strap button. Removed it to find a cavernous hole. Stuck wood filler in, left it to dry, gently sanded excess away, drilled narrow pilot hole and replaced strap button, which hid the work nicely. 

the negative with the filler is that as time goes on it can shrink, crack and become loose so keep an eye on it

In this case drilling out and dowelling would be the right way, but even then you want to drill the pilot hole a little on the small side and put the screw back in before the glue between the dowel and the guitar body dries, so the dowel is expanded by the screw and compresses the glue joint as it sets.

dano

Thanks for the advice, going to repair it tomorrow morning. I'll report back.

usedtobe

sweepy said:

Wooded kebab sticks work nicely too, don’t use matchsticks as they are far too soft 

Remember to eat the kebab off the stick first!

markv

This is exactly the reason why I have cocktail sticks in the house. I have no idea what you do with them for an actual cocktail.

SteveRobinson

markv said:

This is exactly the reason why I have cocktail sticks in the house. I have no idea what you do with them for an actual cocktail.

In case you ever find yourself in the 1970s:



As far as actual cocktails go I imagine they are for holding the olive in your martini?

drwiddly

Or the maraschino cherry in your pint of Guinness.

normula1

SteveRobinson said:

markv said:

This is exactly the reason why I have cocktail sticks in the house. I have no idea what you do with them for an actual cocktail.

In case you ever find yourself in the 1970s:



As far as actual cocktails go I imagine they are for holding the olive in your martini?

thanks for that.... for some strange reason I feel the need to send one of the offspring for a pineapple whilst I finish fixing the floor outside their bedrooms

SNAKEBITE

SteveRobinson said:

markv said:

This is exactly the reason why I have cocktail sticks in the house. I have no idea what you do with them for an actual cocktail.

In case you ever find yourself in the 1970s:



As far as actual cocktails go I imagine they are for holding the olive in your martini?

Hedgehogs!

As a kid I loved a good hedgehog at any family gathering.